Best Laid Plans
by Tarafina
Summary: My name is Drizzle. Or, okay, it would be if one of my three dads had his way.
1. Part I

**Title**: Best Laid Plans  
**Category**: Glee  
**Genre**: Humor/Family  
**Pairing(s)**: Finn/Rachel, Emma/Will, Puck/Quinn  
**Rating**: PG  
**Word Count**: 2,621  
**Summary**: My name is Drizzle. Or, okay, it would be if one of my three dads had his way.

**_Best Laid Plans_**

**Part One**.

My name is Drizzle.

Or, okay, it would be if one of my three dads had his way.

My _real _name is Qarly. Yes, with a Q, but pronounced as _C_arly. I am the not-so-expected spawn of one Quinn Fabray (hence where the unusual placement of a _Q_ in my name) and Noah Puckerman; a fact that would be very much a scandal given the entire details of how I came to be. You see, my birth mother was a sixteen year old cheerleader, virgin president of the Celibacy Club, and an all-around _good girl _when she unexpectedly found herself 'with child.' And what was more, the child she was carrying was _not _her boyfriends.

Now, don't get the wrong idea. My mother was not an undercover 'slut' by any means, but in fact simply a teenager who made a mistake one night and gave herself to the not-quite-deserving person that would be my birth father, quaintly referred to as "Puck." Noah was the bad-boy football player that had a reputation for getting with anyone and anything that would give him the light of day, so long as they were attractive anyway. And while he was _also _the best friend of Quinn's boyfriend, that hardly stopped his libido from interfering. With the help of wine coolers and the insecurity Quinn felt about being fat that day it wasn't hard for him to turn on the charm, which in turn meant that the one night of my mother doing something against her beliefs became, well, _me_.

Her boyfriend was _not _ecstatic; like any sixteen year old boy who was just trying to be his usual self and enjoy his high school experience he did_ not _expect to become a father. There's a flaw here, as I'm sure you've noticed. If Puck is the father, why should this boyfriend be worried at all? Well, in all of my mother's young intelligence, she sought the less harried path and told her young and naïve boyfriend that _he _was in fact the father. But wait, wasn't my mother a _virgin_ when she was with Puck, as I've just stated? Yes, she was. Due to a 'moment' in a hot tub where teenage hormones overcame them, my mother twisted the facts to make it seem that hot water _helped _sperm along and resulted in a bizarre but _possible_ pregnancy. I know what you're thinking; that's a really stupid excuse and who would fall for it? Well, that would be sixteen year old captain and quarterback Finn Hudson; a good guy who'd been raised well, was kind and sweet, and as you can probably tell, not the brightest of the bunch. But he stepped up and he did the right thing, standing by his girlfriend and vowing to do well by me.

But all was not so easy. Puck knew he was the father; if for no other reason than the fact that his best friend would've mentioned something if he'd been intimate with Quinn. And while he didn't sound like the greatest of guys, he actually wanted to do the right thing and be a good father, unlike his own deadbeat dad had been to him. So while I had yet to be born or even register as a bump on my mother's stomach, she now had a predicament. Two men, one baby, and a secret she was more than willing to take to the grave. She quickly decided that try as he might, Puck would _not _be a part of their lives and she would instead stick by Finn, but destiny was not so forgiving. With all of the confusion and uncertainty surrounding being a teenage mother, another party pounced on the opportunity.

Terri Shuester.

Married to Quinn's Spanish and Glee Club teacher, Terri wanted only two things in her life, her husband and time for her crafts. However, keeping her husband, she thought, meant she had to have a baby. And after an unfortunate 'hysterical' pregnancy, in which Terri _convinced _herself so much that she was pregnant her body actually mimicked the symptoms, she made a decision that was less out of love and more out of desperation. She never told her husband there was, in fact, no baby, and instead came up with an elaborate plan to raise Quinn's as her own, convincing her husband to stay together and be a family. Bizarre, right? While her intentions were clouded and what she was doing was… strange and completely out there, in some really unusual way she thought she was doing the right thing.

And so, months later, after blackmailing her obstetrician, lying to her husband, and convincing my birth mother that letting her raise the baby was the _right thing _to do, Terri got her wish. Sad, innocent and heartbroken Finn Hudson tearfully said goodbye to the baby he had been willing to raise, and had _no idea _that a man he looked up to, his father-like Glee teacher, would be raising what he thought to be his beloved daughter Drizzle. And from the outside looking in, Noah "Puck" Puckerman, silently said goodbye to his chance to be all that his father wasn't; a good dad. Having no idea of the truth behind my conception, Will Shuester cried when he held me for the first time, and though his heart was not as devoted to his wife, it was filled to capacity for me, his daughter, Qarly Theresa Shuester (Puckerman/Hudson).

Now, one would think this very sad tale would end there and I would live a good life with my beloved adopted father and misguided mother. That while I was in the dark about all of this, just as much as my father was, I would at least have a family that loved me. And part of that is very true; not a day went by when my dad didn't let me know that he dearly and sincerely _loved _me. But that same love was not as strong for my mother and though it was hard for both of them, they eventually had to admit defeat. There would be no more conniving or brilliant (but _insane_) plans to keep Will from sticking by her. Instead, through a bitter divorce, the whole truth came out.

William Matthew Shuester was _not _my biological father, and neither was Terri my real mother.

She said it to hurt him; she said it out of rage and sadness, desperation and loneliness, and it really and truly _broke _him.

The next day, he was at Quinn Fabray's door, and he wanted answers. Falling apart, she told him the truth, _all _of it. And soon, not only Will was hurt but so was Finn; a man who had kept my ultrasound picture in his wallet and took it out to sing to out of regret and love, a man who loved me despite having never seen me after the day of my birth. A man who had gone on to college on a Glee scholarship and was planning to one day be a firefighter, if his chance on Broadway never came anyway. Twenty years old, he believed he had a beautiful four year old daughter out there, and only hoped he did right by her.

With the truth all out, it was time also to include Noah. Puck, despite his reputation of being a 'Lima Loser' had gone on to do great things. Going to college, he got his BA in business and he took his pool cleaning company to all new heights. Unlike Finn, he'd known the whole of it, and while he hadn't agreed, he kept the secret just as he'd promised Quinn he would. But there was another side to my biological father that very few knew, and when Will, Finn and Quinn showed up on his doorstep, he was only happy that it had all come out. He revealed the college fund he'd been growing for me and, like Finn, he too had kept a picture close to his heart, literally. At seventeen, Puck had the face of his baby girl, newly born, tattooed on his chest, and while he too had never witnessed my first four years, he loved me despite it all.

At four years old, having no idea the whole sordid tale behind my life, I had three fathers and two mothers. Of course, you're quite obviously wondering what became of it all. Now that they knew the truth, how could they all go on in their lives without some very obvious, very strong changes? You're right. Given the very confusing matter that was my birth and raising and through the combined efforts of my three fathers and birth mother, full custody was awarded to William Shuester, the adopted father that despite everything absolutely _would not _give me up. And being the wonderful man he was, he invited Quinn, Puck and Finn to be a part of my life as well. Being four, I really had no idea what was going on or what it all meant. All I knew was that the mother I knew, the one who loved crafts beyond reason and watched more daytime TV than anybody else alive, was no longer living with us. Instead, she'd moved in with her sister, my crazy aunt who spoke too loud and yelled at her husband a lot. That and three people my dad had introduced as very nice family friends were all of a sudden very interested in playing with me and taking me out places and being a strong part of my life.

Quinn came into my life baring gifts. Standing awkwardly in my doorway, with my dad urging her on, she stepped into my bedroom and half-smiled as she held a bag aloft.

"Hi," I greeted, glancing up at her from the floor, where I sat playing my favorite doll Jellybean.

"Hi," she replied softly. Slowly, she knelt beside me. "That's a really pretty doll."

I grinned widely, petting Jellybean's fake blonde hair. "Yeah… She's my bestest friend." Turning my head to the side, I wondered, "Who're you?"

"I… I'm…" She looked back at my dad and when he gave her a nod, she sighed. "My name's Quinn… I'm an old friend of your dad's."

My brows furrowed. "You don't _look _old."

She laughed lightly.

"What's that?" I asked, staring at her bag.

"This… Um, it's a present, actually."

I nodded. "For dad?"

"Oh, no… I… I got it for you."

Bouncing on spot, I exclaimed, "I get a present!" My eyes widened suddenly. "Is it my _birthday_?"

Dad laughed, shaking his head. "Not for a few more months, Little Lady. Quinn just wanted to give you something to make up for lost time. She couldn't be around when you were little, so…"

"Oh… Okay"

Sitting down on the floor, she crossed her legs and then held out the bag. "Do you want to open it now?"

"Can I?"

She smiled. "Of course."

Excitably, I pulled the tissue from the top and dug inside, pulling out the fancy dressed Barbie that lay inside. "Oh! Cool! Look daddy, Quinn got me a _Barbie!_"

"I see," he replied, grinning.

"She's so pretty…" I fiddled with her dress and her hair and then held her up for Quinn to see. "Isn't she pretty, Quinn?"

"Yes…" Her eyes filled with tears despite her smile. "Yes, she's _so _pretty…"

I blinked, confused. "It's okay… We can share her. You don't have to be sad."

Sniffling, she wiped her face. "Well, if we're going to share her we'll have to get her lots of clothes and stuff, right?"

I nodded.

"Good. So… Maybe I can bring a dress for her next time… If you don't mind… Maybe we could spend some more time together then." She stared at me hopefully.

"Sure. And then you can play with Jellybean too and maybe daddy will play the piano and we can sing!" I stared up at her happily. "Can you sing?"

"Yes…" She nodded. "I can sing a little."

"Cool!"

And amidst chatter of Barbie's and singing, I got to know Quinn Fabray, the mother I didn't even know I had.

Puck showed up a few weeks later, dressed in torn up jeans and wearing a proud Mohawk. At first, I was wary of him, he didn't look like any of my dad's other friends. But then, he grinned at me. "You like video games?"

And suddenly he was the coolest guy I'd ever known.

"You play _old _games, Uncle Pucky," I told him when he turned on the ancient looking super Nintendo and plugged in Mario World.

"Vintage, Q," he replied, smirking. "One of these days, you'll know just how cool that really is."

"Can I be the princess?" I wondered.

He laughed. "No, we've gotta _save _the princess."

Pouting, I stuck my lip out and my hands on my hips. "How come the boys always gotta save the princess, why can't she save herself? I'm tougher than any stupid boy!"

He grinned. "That you are. And if I ever get into trouble, I know just what princess to call."

Plopping down next to him, I nodded my head appropriately. "Don't worry. I'll save you no matter what!"

Wrapping an arm around my shoulders, he squeezed me close. And moments later, all was normal as we battled funny looking turtle people and road some kind of dragon named Yoshi.

Finn Hudson was the most nervous. He kind of reminded me of the boys my age but he was really tall and he smiled at me like my dad did.

"Hey," he said, waving his big hand. There was something about Finn that made him look like he was bigger than life; like he was a giant and I was tiny.

With my head craned back, I blinked at him. "Hi."

"Qarly," my dad said, kneeling next to me. "This is Finn… He offered to take you in to your ballet classes, okay? I've gotta run but I want you to behave."

I nodded, still staring up at the boy curiously. "Is he gonna stay?"

Will grinned. "Why don't you ask _him_?"

Kicking the ground, I put my hands on my hips. "Well?"

Finn looked at me and then my dad. "Uh… What?"

I sighed, rolling my eyes dramatically. "Are you gonna stay and watch me dance?"

"Um, do you _want _me to?" he asked, lifting his shoulders to his ears.

I frowned. "Do _you _want to?"

Will chuckled. "You guys got five minutes; figure it out." With that, he left us to it.

Finn knelt, holding a hand out for me to shake. When I took it, my hand looked puny; enveloped in his big warm palm.

"So… do you _like _dancing?" I wondered, frowning.

"Yeah, sure… I'm not very _good_…" he admitted, shrugging.

I grinned. "I can _teach _you!" I exclaimed, jumping. "After, if you stay I mean, you can come back and I'll show you all the moves, okay?" I didn't wait for him to answer, instead I ran over and grabbed my gym bag and sneakers. "Do you got any ballet shoes?"

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Not really… Do I _need _them?"

"Well…" I sighed. "My teacher says you got to but I like wearing my sneakers… So I guess if it's just me and you, teacher doesn't _have _to know."

Finn grinned. "All right. So… I'll stay and after, we'll dance."

I nodded happily and we were off. Taking his hand in his, I swung it back and forth, talking animatedly about dancing and he listened to every word, nodding enthusiastically.

And before I knew it, three more people were added to my family and I loved them all.


	2. Part II

**Title**: Best Laid Plans  
**Category**: Glee  
**Genre**: Humor/Family  
**Pairing(s)**: Finn/Rachel, Emma/Will, Puck/Quinn  
**Rating**: PG  
**Word Count**: 3,918  
**Summary**: My name is Drizzle. Or, okay, it would be if one of my three dads had his way.

**_Best Laid Plans_**

**II**.

By the time I was seven, my adopted mother and I didn't see each other much and a new addition to my unusual family had been added. Emma Pillsbury was a very nice, soft-spoken woman who liked to clean things before having any contact with them. Often, she would wipe my hands with sanitary wipes before playing with me and sprayed down each and every one of my toys every time she came by. Though only seven, I could clearly see that she and my dad were very close.

"How come daddy and Emmy look at each other like that?" I asked Quinn one day as we sat brushing the hair of our fabulous Barbie's, a very large set that she had bought me herself and added to each time she saw me.

"What way, Tweety Bird?" she asked. She always spoke to me with such gentle reverence, as if each word exchanged was something to be savored and remembered, and the fond way she always referred to be as Tweety Bird continued to make me feel special.

"Like they can't _breathe_," I huffed, rolling my eyes. It was hard to miss, the way they could just stand there, staring up at each other all wide-eyed, expecting the world to fall away from around them, only the two of them there in the end.

Quinn giggled. "Because they love each other, silly." Reaching over, she stroked my hair delicately.

I frowned. "Mommy Terri and daddy never looked at each other like that." This was how I talked about her now – Mommy Terri – as if I had to remind them all of her, of how she _used _to be there. Even then, not knowing that there was another mother, whom I was playing with at that very moment, I still spoke of her as if she was a distant memory.

"Well…" She chewed her lip, her eyes turning away in thought. "Sometimes, we love people in different ways… On different levels."

I wrinkled my nose, turning by head to the side. "Like how?"

"Like…." She pursed her lips, her blond brows drawing together in a way I hadn't noticed then, but actually looked a lot like how when I'm trying to figure out a particularly hard problem at school. Grade two was by no means _easy_, as far as I was concerned. "Like how you feel about your doll isn't how you feel about, say, me or your Uncle Pucky." Inspired, she grinned. "You love us and you love spending time with us, but it's not the same way you love your doll."

"I love Jellybean; she lets me make her hair _just like mine_!" I exclaimed.

"Yes…" She laughed lightly. "But if say Jellybean was lost one day, Heaven forbid," she murmured, eyes wide, "You would be sad, but… One day, you would be okay with it and you'd understand that maybe she was all right somewhere else, with someone else. But if instead, me or your Uncle Pucky got lost…"

My eyes widened dramatically. "Oh no! I'd get the police and the gover'ment and the president and my principal and the cross walk lady and _ev'rybody_ to help me find you!"

"Exactly," she said, nodding. "You see, when it comes to some people, you get so close and you love them _so much _that absolutely _nothing _would stop you from being with them."

I nodded slowly. "But mommy-Terri wasn't like my doll…"

"No, honey… But you see, your daddy loved Terri; really, _really _loved her. It just wasn't the _same _as how he feels about Emmy…"

I sighed. This adult love stuff was really complicated. "Do you and uncle Pucky love each other like that?"

She chewed her lip. "Like your dad and Emmy?"

I nodded, staring up at her wonderingly. I may have been seven, but I'd seen how Uncle Pucky looked at Quinn and sometimes, when she thought nobody saw her, she looked at him like that too.

"I—"

"Qarly, baby, it's almost seven," my dad said, walking into the room abruptly. "Oh, hey Quinn, sorry I interrupted. But this little girl has a date with her toothbrush and then bed!"

Groaning, I fell back dramatically, landing on my many teddy bears for support. "Da-aaad…"

He laughed. "Don't dad me, Little Lady."

"Fiiine." Standing up, I reached over and wrapped my arms around Quinn, getting tangled in her long hair and hugging her tight. "You'll come see me real soon?" I didn't have to ask, she _always _did.

"Of course." She squeezed me close and kissed my hair. "Be good for your dad and brush your teeth until they're real white. Jesus wants you to have a bright, _bright _smile, okay?"

"Yup!" And with a hop, I hurried off to the bathroom to brush my teeth, waving as I saw her pass me by toward the door. After a goodbye to dad, she left back home to her apartment. Having just finished nursing school, she worked long hours at Lima General Hospital, but she continued to come by and see me every single week, even if like today she'd been at work all day long and would have to be up and ready early tomorrow.

Smiling at me as he leaned in the bathroom doorway, Will cocked his head. "Song or story?" he asked.

"Hmm…." I narrowed my eyes thoughtfully. Since practically birth, my dad had offered up a choice between singing me to sleep or reading me a story and while the option never changed, the music and books were constantly different. "Song!"

He nodded, and chuckling under his breath, he left to get ready.

Dressed in my jammies and under my blanket I waited impatiently for him to return. Suddenly, with all of the dramatics he was known for, he jumped through my door and landed kneeling on the floor. With a slight rock n' roll twist to his every word, he sang, "_There's two things I know for sure: She was sent here from heaven and she's  
daddy's little girl…_"

I could only giggle agreeably.

Much like Quinn, Puck and Finn were becoming a large part of my life, Emma too was making her imprint. One day I realized that she was there, every single morning, and I hadn't given it much thought. At first it was gradual, with her appearing there one morning, rumpled as if she'd slept over, and her and my dad were exchanging looks and then turning to see if I had anything to say about it. Young, innocent and having great affection for Emma, I simply asked, "Can we have waffles?" And they smiled, relaxed, and let it be.

While she was a little unusual, I loved Emma. Unlike mommy-Terri, Emma didn't ignore me in favor of other things. She liked to listen to me and ask me how my day was, even if nothing interesting happened. She encouraged me to talk to her about my problems, like how a boy in my class, Jimmy, was always pulling my hair and chasing me around the playground. And she explained things to me in a way my dad couldn't; in a way only other girls know how. And she always included me, like when it was movie night and her and daddy were cuddled up on the couch, she'd invite me over to curl up next to her and wrap an arm around me as if to bring me into their happy bubble.

But most of all, the reason I liked Emma so much was because she made my dad _happy_. He laughed more and he smiled and he didn't look so hurt like he did when mommy-Terri had been so mean to him or ignored him or used her exasperated voice on him like she usually did me. Emma always listened to him, patiently, and she always looked up at him like he hung the stars and they would only fall in favor of granting her a wish. And if she made daddy happy, she made _me _happy.

He was always trying to help her, too, to get past her cleaning habit or open up or let herself relax around him. Sometimes, I could hear her breath hitch when he was close, or when he kissed her.

"Will…" she murmured as he squeezed her arms affectionately, nuzzling her shoulder with his nose. She turned her head back, her red hair brushing his face. "The kitchen really isn't the place for us to be—"

"Trust me," he said and her eyes fluttered closed as he kissed up her neck, his hands stroking up and down her arms.

I didn't know what Emma was so afraid of; I played in mud and sat on counters and usually argued that I didn't need a bath anymore than once a month. But I did know that as long as my dad was there, her fears were smaller, even ignored entirely sometimes. And all I really knew was that if somebody could make the scary go away, then having that person around meant something. Uncle Pucky always scared the monsters out of closet for me and out from beneath my bed; he told me he was much tougher than any monsters and I believed him. So if Emmy needed my dad there to make her monsters go away, it was clear to me that they really loved each other.

Having her in the house a lot more was different, but then I was so used to people coming and going that I wasn't really surprised or put off by it. And Emma always went out of her way to make sure I was a part of everything, never wanting to make me feel like she'd replaced either mommy-Terri or taking my dad's attention. I never felt that way anyway; my dad always made me feel like I was the most special girl in the whole world. Each night, whether he sang to me or read me a book, I fell asleep knowing that I had the greatest daddy in the world. And in reality, I had three.

When I turned ten years old, I learned the truth. Through no honesty by them - they'd always planned to tell me when I was much older - I overheard the conversation that would change it all.

"Double digits…" Uncle Pucky sighed. "God, I'm getting _seriously _old."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "You're twenty-seven… Still younger than the cougars you play with."

He scoffed. "Yeah, but I've got like _three _years before those same cougars will be lookin' for _fresh meat_."

Having no idea what a cougar was, I simply shrugged it off as a weird nickname for my uncles many different girlfriends. It wasn't the first time the adults in my life had tried talking in code. Since I was four, Uncle Finn had been using Pig Latin to his advantage when he talked about things he wasn't sure I should know. But then I learned it and he had to come up with something else. Unfortunately, for all my vast knowledge, I never did crack his new language… Although, I take great comfort in knowing nobody else did either, at least not until his girlfriend Rachel came along. Before her, everybody just thought Uncle Finn was talking nonsense and would make him repeat everything in English. But Aunty Rachel spoke fluent Finn Babble and could translate for anybody who was confused, which was everybody, really.

"You're an idiot," Quinn sighed.

"Come on, you've gotta admit… _Ten years_… That's like…" He shook his head. "Ten whole years ago me and you got busy and out popped Qarly… Isn't that kinda _crazy _to you?"

"That I actually let you convince me 'getting busy' was a good idea?" she snapped back easily.

He snorted. "Lie to yourself all you want, Fab, but you and me both know you liked it."

"Ew." Flicking his hand away as it reached for her shoulder, she turned her nose up. "Still the same old Puck after ten years, I see."

He grinned. "We've had a kid together and you still pretend like somehow we don't know each other."

Pursing her lips, she crossed her arms. "Because we don't. The only thing we have in common is Qarly."

"And gnarly sex."

I rolled my eyes. Uh, _ew _much?

"Please," she muttered. "Can we drop this subject before she overhears you? This is supposed to be her birthday party and we're hiding out reminiscing about bad ideas and best laid plans. We _should _be out there giving our little girl the best presents we possibly can…" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Which reminds me, you so better _not_ have gotten her anything that shoots, slings or _harms _another kid at this party."

He frowned. "You know, Fabray, you take all the fun out of giving my awesome spawn cool gifts."

She scoffed. "Excuse me if I'm just trying to keep you from taking an eye out of some poor innocent kid."

"_Now_, you're starting to sound like Berry!"

Quinn scowled. "Watch what you say, Pucky, or I'll be pushing you into that pool you have your men clean oh so well!" With a flip of her hair, she turned to leave but stopped abruptly, her eyes widening. "Qarly?"

Hands on my hips in a mimic of my apparent birth mother, I shook my head, confused. "Spill."

With a sigh, she looked back at the sadly smirking Puck, and an hour later I was sitting in my dad's (adopted, that is) study, surrounded by a slew of people.

In an armchair, with girlfriend Rachel in his lap, Uncle Finn sat silently through it all, simply nodding to everything and frowning when his own less-than-smart part in the whole thing came to be. Knowing just how much it had all affected him, Rachel laid her head back on his shoulder, rubbing his arm gently as if to soothe the ache.

Sitting side-by-side, holding hands to stabilize one another, Will and Emma stared on at me looking both worried and supportive. "We know that this is _not _the most conventional family and that there is a _lot _of confusion and lying going on, but sweetie I think what you need to see more than the rest is that, above all else, there's a lot of _love _here. Your mother, Quinn, she just wanted the best for you and she thought she was doing that by giving you to us. And Terri too, in her own way, was really just trying to make a family of us…" Will looked around at the many faces surrounding him before half-smiling. "Both Puck and Finn, they wanted to be here for you, they wanted to be your dads, but they also understood that they were young and giving you a good life mattered most… I know you must be upset and maybe you're mad at us or sad, but I hope that one day you'll know this was really all for your own good."

I was… shocked, to say the least. The dad I knew wasn't really my dad, not _technically _any way. Still, he was the one who sang or read to me every night, the one who drove me to ballet lessons and junior girl's baseball. He was the one who brushed my hair when I was little and it got knotted like crazy; he sang to me when I was sad and made me chicken soup when I was sick. He was there for every owie and bad day, every triumph and sports medal, he was there when I lost my first tooth _and _when I found out Santa wasn't real. Will Shuester was my daddy.

But then… so was Puck. Uncle Pucky, as I'd always referred to him, had never missed a soccer game since I started at the tender age of five. He was there for every baseball practice, ballet lesson and even stood up for me when I wanted to join the junior football team and they wouldn't let me on the boy's team since there was no girl's league. He offered to beat up boys that made me cry and egg girls that were mean to me, he told me being a tom boy with a hidden girly side wasn't bad and when I got my first black eye for getting into a fight over which football team was better, he high fived me and told me I was his hero. He taught me to swim and how to clean pools like a pro, he introduced me to paintball and air hockey, he painted my face when we went to sports games and he held me on his shoulders when I was too short to see over people's heads. And despite the fact that he wasn't the most loquacious of people and that everybody thought he could be a real jerk, he was always good to me. He told me he loved me and he pinky swore that he would do anything for me anytime I needed it, no matter what it was. Hell, he'd bury a body if I ever needed him to. And he was my father too, biologically. In fact, when I really thought about it, I had his eyes; green with brown and gold flecks. And his not-so-subtle smirk; an upturn of my mouth that said it all.

And then there was Finn; my loveable, excitable, sweet and naïve Uncle Finn. From four years old, he'd been there to tell me he would always be the ear to talk to, the shoulder to cry on. He encouraged me every day to be who I was, whether anybody else liked it or not. He'd always kind of hidden behind what was expected of him, he admitted, but he didn't want that for me. The day I told him I wanted to wear my sneakers to ballet, he agreed, and just to throw people off, he wore a tutu over his jeans and faded football jersey. And when I had singing lessons, he was there to help me through them all, singing right along side me and helping me memorize my lyrics and learn the steps. He was an awful dancer, but he said it was only because I made him look bad with my expertise. When I was six, he gave me his number 5 football jersey and told me it was one of his most prized possessions and he wanted me to take care of it. I wore it as a nightie or held it close when I was sad and it always made me feel better. When I was upset, I could always call him, no matter what time it was or where I was. He'd always answer and while he didn't always know what to say, just knowing that he would listen and not judge was everything I needed. Despite how he'd been tricked into thinking he was my dad and how years later he only found out because of Terri and would have probably gone his whole life regretting giving me up, now, today, he was still in my life. He still wanted to be my father.

On my tenth birthday I had three fathers and it was the _best _gift I could've ever asked for. I hadn't even blown out my candles but already I had _everything_.

Like Quinn. My best girlfriend ever; though I wouldn't tell Jenny from school that. Unlike Terri, Quinn had never put anything before me. Not crafts, not soaps, not my dad, nothing. To her, I was everything. She played Barbie's with me and sang with me and helped me dress like a girl when I wanted to try being more 'pretty' for the sake of my gender. She came running if ever she thought something was wrong and she was a constant feminine voice in a sea of men. There was _never _a doubt in my mind, since the moment I met her when I was just four years old and confused, that she absolutely and completely _loved _me. She told me, every day, on the nights when she'd call just after dinner and before homework to ask me how my day was. She was my girl-gab partner, who I admitted my first crush to, stupid Jimmy, and the one who would sit and paint my toes and nails while we talked about our regular lives and what I did at school that day or what she dealt with at work. She babysat me when dad had Glee practice after school and she came over every second Saturday for a girl's night only sleepover. And she was my _mom_ – she gave birth to me when she was sixteen and scared and alone. She gave me to a family she thought would love me and raise me right and do whatever it took to make sure I was taken care of. And when it all came out, when the truth was out there, she welcomed the chance to _be _in that life and to love me whatever way possible.

"Okay…" Taking a deep breath, I let it out on a long sigh. "Okay."

Emma looked at Will and then back at me, concerned and confused. "Just… okay?"

I nodded. "I've got three dads and three moms, four if Uncle Finn ever gets around to proposing to Aunty Rachel," I smiled when he blushed sweetly and the others chuckled quietly, "And yeah, okay, it's not like totally conventional but…" I chewed my lip, something my birth mother did often when she was a little worried, "As long as you guys are here, like, _always_, then… _okay_."

They all looked at each other, seemingly surprised by this turn of events. Maybe they expected tears or a Rachel Berry-like walk out, but no… None of that. Why? Because this was my family, whether biological or not, before all of this came out and even after, they were my _family_.

"Well…" Puck shrugged. "Okay then."

Quinn sighed. "She gets this from you," she muttered before crossing the room and kneeling before me. "I want you to know that if later you're upset or you have questions, we're here, okay? Whatever you want to happen or do… We'll understand." She stared up at him, those loving eyes searing into me with searching sweetness.

"Yeah… Sure…" I nodded before smiling. "_Mom_."

And suddenly, she was crying. Quietly, but still, there were tears and sniffling, and while I looked at everybody around me I realized that they were just as confused about what to do as I was. So I did what my many parents had taught me to; I hugged her. When sad, a hug solves everything, or at least helps. I wrapped my arms tight around Quinn Fabray and I hugged her close, rubbing her back and hoping that it was enough.

She laughed, soft and light, and then she buried her fingers in my hair. "Thank you, Tweety Bird," she sobbed.

I had no idea then what she meant, but when it all calmed down I realized… she was thankful that she was a part of my life, that I had been born, that she had this chance to be my mom and that I accepted all of it and her. And deep down, when I understood it all, I could only thank her back. Without her, I wouldn't know this world of mine, as totally messed up as it was.


	3. Part III

**Title**: Best Laid Plans  
**Category**: Glee  
**Genre**: Humor/Family  
**Pairing(s)**: Finn/Rachel, Emma/Will, Puck/Quinn  
**Rating**: PG  
**Word Count**: 2,718  
**Summary**: My name is Drizzle. Or, okay, it would be if one of my three dads had his way.

**_Best Laid Plans_**

**III**.

When I was twelve, a double wedding was held in my backyard. After five years of dating, my dad had _finally_ proposed to the sweet and overly-hygienic Emma Pillsbury. Kneeling down before her, he ever-so-gallantly wiped the ring he bought especially for her with a sanitary napkin and held it aloft while she cried happily into her hands. "Oh Will…" she sighed, her big brown eyes meeting his with such joy. And because my dad was never the most normal of men, he _sang _to her rather than speak his proposal. Overwhelmed with emotion, Emma could only nod.

I loved Emmy since the day I met her; yeah, she was a little too attentive when it came to cleaning things and since I'd only been seven I really didn't have any sense of modesty, but just the way she smiled at me and at my dad had told me everything. This was a woman who truly and dearly _loved _Will Shuester; to this day, I know that's true. She would face human-sized bacteria if it meant anything to my dad and that said it all. So when he finally asked her to spend her whole life with him, I was only happy for them.

Sitting next to me on my bed, hands clasped in her lap, Emma's big brown eyes moved to and fro nervously. "So… your dad and I were talking last night and I felt that our news should be shared with you first." Smoothing out her skirt, she paused. "Now, I've already said yes but I want you to know that if you're not ready or if you have any questions or problems, postponement isn't an issue." She stared at me seriously. "This involves all of us and you are the most important part of this equation, okay?" She didn't let me reply before she hurried on. "I mean yes, I would _love _to marry your father, more than, well, _anything_, really…" Her eyes turned off thoughtfully. "To be honest, it's something I've dreamt of for twelve years or so…" Her brow furrowed. "But I'm getting ahead of myself. You see, your dad asked me- I mean he, well he-"

"Proposed," I offered knowingly.

She looked up, surprised. "Yes…" Worried now, she held her hands tight. "Are you… Are you _okay _with that?"

I laughed lightly. "You've been like a mom to me since I was seven, Emmy, why wouldn't I be okay?"

She blinked suddenly and while she didn't want to show it, I could tell she was getting teary-eyed. "Oh…" she sighed gently. "That's…" She blew out a soft breath. "I just…" Sniffling, she held her hands up and waved to stop her stinging eyes. "That means so much to me, Qarly, you have _no idea_…"

Reaching out, I touched her hands. "Look, I'm happy for you and dad, really… You ask me, he's like four years overdue."

She laughed shortly, sniffling back her tears as she grinned. "Don't tell him, but I really agree!"

I chuckled. "So we're okay then? You and dad are getting married and I'm happy for you, so…"

"Yeah…" She nodded, ducking her head as she smiled. "Yeah, we're okay."

"Great… I've got my last soccer practice today before the big game and Uncle Puck's picking me up in like ten, so…"

She nodded, smiling. "Yeah, sure… Go ahead."

"Cool." I stood up from the bed and was about to leave before suddenly I turned. While Emmy had been in my life for the last five years, I guess I'd always assumed she just knew how much she meant to me and to dad. But with all the people and the chaos day to day, things just sort've fall by the wayside. Wanting to rectify that, I hugged her tight. "I know I've already got plenty, but you're my mom too, y'know?" Her only response was to close her arms around me tight and it was all I needed really; she was saying all that had to be said. And when the emotions finally dimmed some, she let me go and wiped her face, smiling at me warmly. Later, I was on my way to soccer practice with Uncle Puck's music blasting in my ears and while I sang along word for word it became just another moment where my family grew and strengthened and I knew… I was the luckiest girl alive.

Three weeks later, I got a call from Uncle Finn. Being that it was two in the morning, I had to fumble for my cell phone in the dark, hoping my dad and Emmy didn't wake up to the noise of the Broadway tune spilling out of my buzzing phone.

"Hello?" I whisper-grunted.

"Qarly? Hey! It's me! Finn!" he declared loudly.

"Hey Uncle Finn," I sighed, falling back to my bed. "You _are _aware it's like really, really late, right?"

"What? Oh… Uh, yeah, sorry…" Even through the phone she could hear he was blushing. "I just, I had to tell you…"

"You got the part in Cats?" I asked, grinning.

"No… Better!"

My brows furrowed. "Rent?"

"No, I—Wait, there's auditions for Rent right now?" Before I could reply, he continued, "Never mind! Listen, I wanted you to be the first to know… Well, I mean besides Rachel because she's kind of a given, and I guess her dads 'cause she stole the phone before I could get it. I didn't think of my cell until she'd already been on the phone for like an hour so I assume they already know, but—"

"Uncle Finn," I interrupted, amused.

"Oh, yeah, sorry…" He paused, excited. "I proposed. Tonight."

I sat up suddenly, grinning into the darkness of my bedroom. "I assume she said yes."

"Yeah! Well, actually she more of yelled it. And the people at the table across from us kind of glared but then when she explained, they were okay with it and went back to eating."

I chuckled. That was my Uncle Finn, always sort of adding in the not-so-needed details and being the most adorable man _alive_. "So you're getting married!"

"I am!" He laughed happily, warmly.

In the background, I could hear Rachel squealing. "Is that Qarly? Did you tell her? Ooh, tell her about the ring and the proposal and oh, _oh_, tell her about how you dropped the ring in my pie! Go on! Tell her!"

He chuckled, and not for the first time I was reminded of just how _right _Uncle Finn and Aunty Rachel were together.

Over virgin daiquiris during a girls night when I was eleven and curious, Rachel and Quinn told me about the whole drama that was the high school love triangle between them and Finn. While Finn and Rachel hadn't really dated in high school, it was pretty obvious they had serious feelings for each other. After going separate ways for college, they eventually met back up when Uncle Finn tried his hand in New York with a few plays and commercials, giving his voice another try at the stage. Along the way, he ran into Rachel Berry, an up and coming Broadway star that was only too happy to see her old friend and crush. After coffee and catching up, the two of them quickly fell into a strong friendship that grew into something much, _much _deeper. Like Emmy and my dad, I saw in them that same _breathless _anticipation when they looked at each other. Despite the many years spent together, sometimes they fell into these moments, as if for a second they were questioning whether it was all a dream, whether this perfection they'd found with each other was truly _real_. And then Uncle Finn would reach for her and he'd kiss the tip of her nose and they'd just smile as if waking from it all and content to accept their surroundings, be it a dream or not, and simply enjoy every single moment they had together.

I remember the day I met her like it was yesterday.

Uncle Finn was fidgeting, which in Finn-body-speak meant that he had something really important to tell me. In all our years of friendship, I had never known him to have many girlfriends. There was the odd mention of a girl here or there, completely unlike my Uncle Puck who had all too _many _girlfriends when it was obvious he still had feelings for Quinn. But until Rachel, I'd never been introduced to any of Uncle Finn's infatuations. And then one day, he called and asked if he could come over because he wanted to talk to me about something.

Twenty minutes later, he was shifting uncomfortably on the couch.

"So? What's up?" I asked, sitting cross-legged on the couch, angled so I was facing him curiously.

"Oh, uh…" He looked away, smiling that sweet half-smile of his. "I met someone… Well, again, I knew her before and then- then we ran into each other and I-I don't know things just kind of…" He shrugged, nodding. "Yeah."

I stared at him. "So you made a new friend?" I wondered. He wasn't making a whole lot of sense.

"Uh, kind of… I-I mean she's a friend, yeah, but-but she's also…" He sighed, shoulders slumping as he wiped his sweaty palms on his knees. Eyes narrowed in that way when he's thinking really hard, he tried to explain, "Y'know how your dad is really good friends with Mrs. Pillsbury?" To this day he often calls her that rather than Emma, much to her chagrin.

"Oh, you mean like how they're dating and in love?"

He blinked. Okay, so maybe he didn't expect me to be quite so insightful. I was only nine at the time. "Yeah… Well, that's… That's like how me and Rachel are…" He stared, waiting.

"Cool. Can I meet her?"

He brightened, grinning, his chest even puffing up as if he was proud. "Y-Yeah! She's… She's in the car."

My brows furrowed. "You left her in the car?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about her first…" He shrugged, looking uncomfortable again, like a little boy who was caught stealing a cookie. Pulling his cell out, he waved it as if asking me if it was okay to bring her up.

And five minutes later, I was introduced to Rachel Berry.

With the biggest, brightest grin, she greeted me with a wave. "Hi!"

My eyes widened dramatically. "You're… But you're…" I pointed and began bouncing on spot. Rachel Berry, _the _Rachel Berry, as in the Broadway starlet that made me _cry _at _Les Miserables_ when my dad brought me to see it! "Uncle _Finn! _That's Rachel _Berry!_"

He chuckled, nodding. "Yeah! We went to high school together!"

As if _that _was the highlight of her life; she was slowly becoming the most recognized face in Broadway! And I might've fallen a little in love with her right then _just _because of that. But then…

"Wait… High school?" I cocked my head. "So you know my daddy, too?"

She smiled, nodding. "Yeah, we was my Glee teacher."

My eyes widened. "Oh, oh, can we sing together?" I hurried toward the piano. "Uncle _Fi-iinnn…_"

He chuckled. "Okay, okay, you've convinced me."

I bounced happily and then told Rachel conspiratorially, "Just don't ask him to dance…"

She giggled as if she knew exactly what I meant and then we sang and right then, I knew… Rachel was going to be a part of my already massively extended family.

At twelve, I'd had a few crushes, most of which lasted a few days before I moved on and liked some other boy because he smiled at me a few seconds longer than the last or lent me a pencil when I couldn't find mine. But even then, I knew that this kind of love was like _epic_, everlasting, and what any girl would want for themselves one day. Between Emmy and Will and Rachel and Finn, one would assume I'd become a hopeless romantic, but thanks to the reality check from the very honest Puck I was always much more level-headed than to assume I would find it. My biological dad was a narcissist and he had his fair share of girlfriends over the years, but when it came down to it, he loved my mom. Over the years, they'd been on again, off again and even once considered marriage before Quinn quickly put that notion to rest. Now dating a fellow male nurse, she was happy; even if it was pretty obvious she still had feelings for Puck. And while he put on a good show, none of the many women who came into his life ever really lasted. They were one of those hopeless couples, the type that somehow should and shouldn't be together and even they couldn't figure out which.

It was July, the warmest month of the year, the air conditioning broke and the pool had a leak not even Puck could find, and in the backyard, dressed to the nines, with flowers and arches and a white carpet that made the aisle, a double wedding commenced. Quinn and I were bridesmaids while Puck and Emmy's older brother Jake were groomsmen. Emmy wore a white gown that always made be think of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's and Rachel wore satin on top with a big tulle bottom and lace overlay; they were stunning. Uncle Finn wore a dopey grin as he watched his sweet Rachel walk down the aisle, her two dads escorting her, while my dad, Will, smiled crookedly at a blushing Emma. The ceremony was short, with lots of cheering and sweet vows that involved promising to 'always have antibacterial soap on hand' and to 'go to every show and never waver in support.' And likewise, Emma promised she would always be there for Will, through everything, to be his ear and his shoulder and to trust in him the way he so trusted in her.

Rachel cried, which had been expected, and for a moment nobody really knew what she was saying, except Finn. It took me all of a minute to realize she was speaking Finn Babble; the strange cryptic language he'd come up with years ago. Sniffling, because he was always a softie, Finn nodded, not sharing with the others what was said. He wiped a tear from his eye with the cuff of his shirt and with a laugh, Rachel shook her head, untangling her hands from his and brushing his tears away with her thumbs before tugging affectionately on his ears, straightening his tie and taking his hands once more. And like the man-in-love he'd been since the day he re-met her, he grinned at her like she'd given him the stars.

Their wedding was sweet, simple. I watched with a wiggling in my chest, a warmth to my face, a smile so big my cheeks hurt as both my dad's vowed to love and cherish these women that made them so happy. Rachel looked ready to bounce, practically on her tip-toes as she stared up at Finn. In the background, her two dad's were crying into handkerchiefs, so proud of her their little star. I looked to Will, to my daddy who'd always been there, always looking out for me before anything else, and I saw the way his eyes glittered as he pledged himself to sweet Emmy.

When it was time to kiss the bride, I leaned around them and mimicked vomiting to Puck, who grinned and winked at me.

Cake and dancing followed, along with much laughter and stories of the years spent in high school when my dad and Emma first met and when Rachel and Finn fell in love despite the fact that he had a (pregnant) girlfriend and they were socially complete opposites. That night, over my first glass of champagne, I danced with each of my three dad's and I learned more about the incredible family I'd been given. Where others had only one mom and dad, maybe a step parent or two, I had three of each; four moms if I continued to accept Terri as such. And they were the greatest people alive; yeah, they were weird and crazy and they'd had less than normal lives, but they were _mine_.


	4. Part IV

**Title**: Best Laid Plans  
**Category**: Glee  
**Genre**: Humor/Family  
**Pairing(s)**: Finn/Rachel, Emma/Will, Puck/Quinn  
**Rating**: PG  
**Word Count**: 2,343  
**Summary**: My name is Drizzle. Or, okay, it would be if one of my three dads had his way.

**_Best Laid Plans  
_**-**4/5**-

**IV**.

I was sixteen when I met Jared, and in the all-too-cliché way he was the bad boy that reminded me entirely too much of my biological dad. He was sarcastic and wild and despite his attitude, my heart fluttered whenever he tucked my long blonde hair behind my ear. I wasn't a cheerleader, nor was I captain of the Chastity Club, and I _definitely _didn't follow in my mother's footsteps and get pregnant. But I did manage to fall in love with the wrong guy. He was cute and funny and he made me feel special, but in the end I knew that we weren't meant for anything more than stolen kisses and teenage heartbreak.

Simultaneously, I had a two year old brother to look after that I thought the world of, and a nephew on the way thanks to Uncle Finn and Aunty Rachel. Round and eight months pregnant, Rachel was more dramatic than ever. But she was also a pretty good listener and not judgmental, so when I thought I'd fallen in love with Jared, I called her to talk.

"He sounds…" She sighed. "Honestly, he sounds like your dad."

"I know…" Frowning, I fell back to my bed, glaring at the ceiling. "You think it's a genetic thing?"

She laughed. "No… I think it's a _girl_ thing. Unfortunately, the bad boy is simply hot. And contrary to popular belief, he is _not _always a complete jerk. He may have episodes of jerkocity, but that does not a whole person make."

"He definitely has those episodes of jerkocity down," I muttered.

"I'm sure. Just like Noah did when he was your age. But, as I'm sure your mother will tell you, he also had moments of clarity and while his tender heart was rather shrouded, he did let it out sometimes."

"Yeah, I know… But Jared isn't like Puck. I mean, yeah they're a lot alike but they aren't the same, y'know? Dad is…" I sighed, chewing my lip. I couldn't explain it.

"What is it, _exactly_, that you like about Jared?" Before I could answer with the immediate thoughts of 'He is _sooo _hot!' she added, "And this involves _not _focusing on his looks."

I frowned. "Okay… Well, he's funny and smart and… And he makes me feel like I'm really… I dunno, _important_ I guess."

"Okay… Do you really need him to make you feel that way though?" she wondered instantly.

I smiled, rolling my eyes. "Don't worry, Rach, I'm not so self-conscious. But I guess, sometimes a girl just likes to feel like she's special and much as my family is awesome, it's different."

"You're right. I know that. You're just at that age when there are questions and insecurities and I wanted to be sure…" She sighed, centering herself. "Well, Jared sounds like… an interesting person."

I cocked a brow, snorting. "Is that a nice way of saying you don't know enough and are only trying to make me feel better?"

"Yes," she replied instantly. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Qar. But I also don't want to step on your teenage boundaries. These are moments where you're growing and learning who you are. There will be people that come and go in your life and while there are instances that will hurt, you'll also learn from them."

"Like you did with Uncle Finn?" I asked.

She paused. "Yes… I'll admit that when I was sixteen I was head over dancing shoes in love with Finn, or at the very least I believed myself to be… It took years for me to figure out that what I felt was a mere shadow compared to my true feelings when we actually had the opportunity to explore those feelings and know each other on a whole other level." She sighed wistfully.

It was amazing I wasn't seriously jealous right now. Why couldn't I be there, past all the confusing bits and right into the 'already have it figured out' part.

"Yeah, but you were in your twenties then, right? You'd dated other people and went to college… You guys grew up and changed."

"You're right, we did. But that doesn't mean that what we had in high school, as fleeting and tangled as it was, didn't matter. So while I don't know this Jared, I can only support you and your instincts. If you feel like he may be worth risking your heart then I say all the power to you!" she declared excitedly.

"Okay…" I chuckled. "I'm not asking him to marry me, Rach; I just want to see if he'd like to make things more official."

"Right, sorry… Sometimes I get a little exuberant."

That was a serious understatement.

"Rach? Where's my sour patch kids?" Uncle Finn called out in the background.

"Second cupboard, middle shelf."

"Score!" he replied happily. A few seconds later, I could hear chewing and my dad/uncle's voice got louder as he came close to the phone. "Is that Qarly?" Before she could reply, he called out loudly, "Hey Qarly Bear!"

"Finn! We're having girl talk!" Rachel replied chastisingly.

"Oh, right… Does this have to do with that Jeremy kid?"

"His name is Jared!"

"Yeah, right, him… Tell her if he touches anything below or above the waist, me and Puck are gonna rearrange his face."

"I am _not _telling her that!"

"Come on…" he whined hopefully.

"No! Violence is never the answer! And if this is your thought process now, what are you going to do when our daughter is Qarly's age?"

"Easy," he replied nonchalantly. "I've already looked up nearby convents and they've got an awesome soccer team and a great lunch menu!"

"Un-be-lievable," she muttered. "Qarly, Lovely, I'm going to have to call you back. Your uncle and I have to have a _serious _conversation."

Laughing, I nodded. "Okay… Tell him I love him and please try not to bruise him."

"Nowhere you can see, sweetie. Call me after everything with Jared is figured out, okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

After hanging up, I hopped off the bed and went to check in on my brother, who was down for his nap. With a mess of red-brown hair, he slept peacefully with his thumb in his mouth and his favorite bear under his head. In less than a half hour, he'd be screaming my name and bouncing like crazy, wanting nothing more than to eat and play. While most teenagers my age would probably be out on dates on a Friday night, I had babysitting duty. I didn't mind; I loved my brother like crazy. And if I really needed some time off, my dad would hire somebody for the night and let me go out and hang with friends. But tonight, I had some thinking to do and taking care of Eli was just a pleasant add-on to the evening.

Against my dad's, all three of them, best intentions I went on my first official date with Jared a few weeks later. We played skeeball, drank slushies and horsed around at an arcade for a few hours before going to a movie and spending more time kissing than actually watching the action flick playing before us. While his reputation with girls wasn't great, with me he was wonderful. He wasn't pushy, he didn't make me feel pressured, and when the night ended he tugged on my hair charmingly and winked before he drove off into the night. Like any girly-girl might, I danced and squealed and smiled until my cheeks hurt. Kissing my dad's cheek without telling him one word of what happened, I went upstairs to three-way call Rachel and Quinn and tell them all about it.

We dated for six amazing months. I won't lie, our relationship wasn't all ups, we had our lows and while I know he cared about me, he had a tendency to flirt with just about anything on two legs. He was the jealous type and he didn't like my guy friends, but he also learned to trust me. I was his first real serious girlfriend and he was my first love. I lost my virginity in the back of his '78 Charger and while it wasn't that intense passionate love that Finn and Rachel shared or my dad and Emmy had for each other, it was enough. He made me feel special and cherished and truly, dearly, loved. And while everyone expected us to break up because he cheated or I realized I was too good for him, in the end it was because his mom had to move out of Lima for a job opportunity and she wasn't leaving her sixteen year old son behind just because he had a girlfriend. So with a broken heart, I said goodbye to my first love and I carried on, hoping that maybe, one day, when we were older he'd be my Finn Hudson and I'd be his Rachel Berry.

All was not to be, however.

Almost a year and a half later, I graduated with honors and a full scholarship from Glee, soccer, and baseball, my choice. I went to Ohio State University and my first year was spent just trying to find myself and what I wanted to be. It was really different being in a place where I couldn't wake up and see at least four out of six of my parents. I was used to not seeing Rachel or Finn since they spent most of their time in New York, but now the majority of my interaction with my dad and Emmy was over the phone, and the same went for Quinn and Puck. But as much as I missed them, I also knew that this was a great experience; that I was really getting to know myself and what I was meant to do and be in this world.

Come Christmas break, I was returning to my dad's for a huge celebration.

With snow falling, I ran up the path to my house, my luggage struggling to stay steady beside me. Inside was my family, the people I missed desperately and couldn't wait to see again. Throwing the door open, I tossed my bags aside and ran into the kitchen to see them all. And for a moment, I simply sighed. There they were, in all of their crazy glory. While Uncle Puck and Emmy arguing over how best to baste the turkey, dad and Rachel were talking about his song selections for his Glee club, a sleeping one and a half year old Faith Drizzle Hudson in her arms. Playing with four year old Eli, Quinn was laughing as he told her something innocently funny. And off to the side, half-listening to his wife and my dad, Finn was eyeing a plate of cookies with a look of desperation.

And then suddenly, they all paused.

"QARLY!" Eli exclaimed loudly, rushing across the floor and nearly tripping as his socks caught on the hardwood. He jumped up expectantly and with a laugh, I caught him. And then the room was overwhelmed with noise as everybody hurried toward me, all talking at once and trying to hug me simultaneously. I nearly cried. I was just so happy to see them and be with them and hear their voices, see their faces, feel their arms around me.

Uncle Puck was hugging me tight. "We weren't expecting you for another hour, Q!"

Shoving him out of the way, Quinn was holding me close. "I would've picked you up if you'd called!" Squeezing me, she rocked me side to side. "God, you're prettier every time I see you. Way to make me feel old on Christmas, Tweety Bird."

I laughed, rolling my eyes. She was as stunning as ever and definitely had nothing to complain about.

As she drew away, my dad was hugging me next. "Feels like ages, Little Lady."

I smiled, burying my face against his shoulder. He smelled like home; had since I was just a little girl – it never got old.

Emmy was next, holding her gloved hands aloft as she explained she'd been dealing with various foods and didn't want to get them on me.

And then Uncle Finn was picking me right up off the floor in a bear-hug. "Qarly-Bear! Are you getting _taller_? You feel taller!"

I laughed. No, I really wasn't. As tall as he was, I was short, just about the same height as Quinn, really.

"Oh Finn, stop! Girls don't _want _to be tall," Rachel reminded before reaching over and hugging me one-armed.

Smiling, I nodded toward Faith. "Can I hold her?"

"Of course. It's practically a duty as god-mother," she said, handing her sweet daughter over. With a soft sigh, Faith didn't even open her eyes as she was passed over. Her dark curly hair was held in a lopsided ponytail with pretty pink bows. Her cheeks were flushed from the warmth of the room and her little white dress was askew as she lay in a worriless heap in my arms. Stroking her hair, Finn stuck by me, smiling down at his daughters adoringly. While Drizzle hadn't been Rachel's favorite name when she knew it was more an homage to me than anything she'd been fully on board to adding it as Faith's middle name.

Holidays were my favorite; it was when everybody I cared about and that really cared about me came together to share stories and lives. I got to learn all about how Finn and Rachel were enjoying parenthood and Broadway, Puck let me in on the goings-on of his business and how quite quickly he was becoming known as the greatest salesmen Lima had ever seen, Quinn shared her experiences at the hospital, and dad and Emmy talked about Eli and the drama that was the high school they both worked at. It was made of laughter and joy, family and friends, and while I knew I'd eventually be returning to the unknown that embodied college, I was just happy to have this time with them.


	5. Part V

**Title**: Best Laid Plans  
**Category**: Glee  
**Genre**: Humor/Family  
**Pairing(s)**: Finn/Rachel, Emma/Will, Puck/Quinn  
**Rating**: PG  
**Word Count**: 1,721  
**Summary**: My name is Drizzle. Or, okay, it would be if one of my three dads had his way.

**_Best Laid Plans_**

**V**.

I don't think anybody was more surprised than me when I decided to become a writer. I think my dad always kind of thought I'd be a teacher or a performer; I'd been in dancing and singing since I was three. And Puck had thought sports would be my thing since I'd always excelled in anything physical. Truth be told, I had a lot of options, and I'm sure I would've been happy with all of those things. But… there was something about writing that I really loved. And more than anything else, I wanted to share my story – my life – with all the people out there that had no idea of what family really was.

I was first published at 22, just something small in Reader's Digest, and my first book came out when I was 24, nothing huge but an accomplishment nonetheless. But my real breakout came when I was 26; over the years I'd compiled my life, my knowledge, my family and friends and my completely bizarre but wonderful journey. It took some doing but finally a publisher bit and _Best Laid Plans _was printed for all to read. I hadn't expected much of a response; I was an up and coming author with little behind me to gain much interest. But before I could blink I was on Oprah's reading list and I was being honored for my honest and strange but loveable compilation of stories. Qarly H.P. Shuester became a well known name to book lovers and before I knew it, I was being begged to write more.

There were talk shows and book signings and overwhelming praise and appreciation for my real life story and all I could do was smile. People had to wonder, had to question, if all of it was really true, if it wasn't some elaborate way to sell books. But then I introduced them, this strange family of mine, to the world at large. "The H.P. in my name, it's for Hudson-Puckerman… Because this is my family…" I waved to the three men and three women sitting both proud and slightly nervous next to me. "My three dads and my three moms…" I grinned; I had nothing to be sorry for, I could only be completely and totally _proud_.

I wrote a series of five books, detailing everything there was to know, from how I came to be to the drama of my adoption coming out. And then there was all the sweetness and craziness added in – the stories of life as a daughter of three wonderful dads. Dating, marriages, the _finally _of Quinn and Puck giving in and letting themselves fall in love and learn each other. The little things, the big things, the in-between. Soccer games and baseball trophies, ballet lessons and tomboy attitudes; all of it. It wasn't regular, it wasn't something many people could probably claim to have or understand, but they saw it for what it really was. Absolutely incredible. Family at its very best.

With that same family and a career in full bloom, there was only one piece of the puzzle that hadn't yet been found.

On a blustering winter morning, I skipped into a coffee shop to get something to warm and wake me up for the day ahead. That is where I met _him_. He'd turned abruptly, nearly spilling his coffee all over me and in an apologetic nervousness, he stuttered out an apology while simultaneously trying not to stare.

I grinned. "I'm Qarly."

He smiled back, warm, lopsided, and for a minute, he kind of reminded me of Finn. "I'm Paul… Can I… I mean, maybe to make up for that… Coffee?" he asked hopefully.

I agreed.

I spent four hours sitting in a coffee shop with a man I'd just met and by the second cup of coffee, I was pretty sure I'd fallen in love. He worked for his dad's family business, was learning to take the reigns from his stubborn father and get his name out there. He was sweet and funny and he loved sports almost as much as me. He'd never been to a Broadway play in his life; he played baseball in high school and went to college on a sports scholarship. He'd wanted to be a musician but his dad talked him into getting his BA in business. He played guitar and drums but he admitted his singing was less than stellar; he owned an Acafellas CD that his dad had passed down to him, oddly enough. Before I knew it, it was lunch, and not wanting the moment to end, I asked him out for a burger. It was the beginning of something wonderful.

I finally understood what it meant to have those moments where the rest of the world falls away, when staring into someone's eyes was like seeing the universe in all of its true glory.

Paul was a normal guy who lived a normal life; he had one dad and one mom, both of whom loved him dearly. He was raised to always respect women and be himself and never let anything hold him back. He had the sweet charm of Finn, the strength and self-security of Puck, and the supportive nature of Will. I introduced him to my family knowing that they would love him and that he would no doubt he completely overwhelmed.

Sitting in the backyard beneath the summer sun, with the BBQ smoking thanks to Finn's constantly wandering eye to his daughter and wife rather than the attention the food needed, my family sat talking beneath the shade of an umbrella topped table.

"Hey everybody!" I greeted, stepping down the stairs.

They all swiveled toward me, with a bright, "Hey!" back. And simultaneously, their eyes drifted toward my companion.

Quinn's brow quirked. "Who's this hunk of interesting?"

Rachel grinned. "You must be Paul."

"Uh, yes, hi," he said, waving. He looked from one person to the next and then shifted his feet. With a hand rubbing the back of his neck, he said, "I think your BBQ's on fire."

"Oh shoot!" Finn struggled out of his chair and ran toward the BBQ, cursing and then apologizing for his language.

Puck sat laughing in his chair, shaking his head. He ignored Quinn as she reached over to pinch him, telling him it was rude to laugh. Taking her reaching hand, he drew it into his lap, stroking her forearm absently, like he was prone to do now that they were together and engaged.

"Be careful!" Rachel worried.

Head cocked, I said, "Somehow, I always knew there'd be a fire when I brought you home."

Paul laughed. "That's okay… I like my burgers extra crispy."

Finn snorted, nodding. And I knew then he'd just accepted Paul into the fold. But then, I knew he'd be the easiest to convince.

Puck was looking him up and down, his lips pursed and his brow cocked as if sizing him up somehow. "You in school?"

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "I got my BA in business and within the next year or two I'll have full control of my father's company…" He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "He did a good job getting it up and going and creating a client base but I plan to expand quite a bit, get my own ideas out there."

And slowly, Puck's face lightened, a grin splitting his mouth. "Yeah?" He nodded toward a chair. "Tell me about it."

Squeezing my hand, Paul smiled at me before going over to make nice with my biological dad. And looking him over, smiling, and winking at each other, my three moms agreed he was at the very least, cute enough for me. The last piece of the family puzzle was Will, who sat silently across, eyes keenly taking in everything. It wasn't until Paul looked up, searched me out and smiled, as if just knowing I was there, nearby, was enough for him. And that was when Will looked over to me and gave me the nod; the 'He seems good enough; I support you' nod.

My chest lightened; he had been accepted, deemed worthy, and that was the biggest praise he could ever get in my books.

Over laughter and conversation, Finn passed Paul a 'nice and crispy' burger and together, we all relax, enjoyed ourselves, and melded into the family I'd always known, _plus one_.

At twenty-eight years old, I stood at the beginning of the aisle with three men; arms hooked to each others and mine, waiting to walk me toward my new adventure. My three mothers and my best friend Tracy stood at the front as bridesmaids. Smiling at my dads, I nodded, ready, and slowly they brought me to Paul, the latest addition to my crazy family.

Hands all over mine, they gave me away to Paul before taking their seats. And with Finn's tearful, proud eyes watching, Puck's easy smirk and approving nod, and Will's supportive grin, I began my own family with the hope that I could have and share the same overflowing love I'd grown up with.

Like I'd always wanted, always envied in my many parents, Paul looked down at me with that same breathless anticipation and I felt the same blooming in my chest, warming, filling me. It wasn't only that he had asked each and every one of my parents for their approval or that each morning I woke up knowing I had this special person there that would do anything for me. It was that he _got _me, from my bizarre existence to my overwhelming family to how proud I was of it all.

While my life was anything but normal, I wouldn't trade one day in for anything. Not the crazy adoption schemes, the confusion, the lack of motherly support from Terri or the confusion of my early years.

My name is Drizzle. Some of you may know me better as Qarly H.P. Shuester. And I have had one very spectacular existence. You may not understand and you may even think that this is one very insane life to live. But me, all I have to say is… You can't always get what you _want_, but if you try some time, you just might find… You get what you _need_.

[**End.**]


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